


Not Enough Mahariel

by TeaRexxy



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Dark, Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-12 02:35:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7081276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaRexxy/pseuds/TeaRexxy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in NamelessShe's Not Enough AU World. Mahariel, it turns out has a twin, and she's come knocking, changing everything and helping where she cna, though she is a bit of a loose cannon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NamelessShe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelessShe/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Never Be Enough](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6546346) by [NamelessShe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelessShe/pseuds/NamelessShe). 



> I've been reading my friend's fanfiction and I got inspired by her love of my Janan Mahariel to make her Mahariel and mine twins! Set in her world, and I hope I've done it justice. Our writing styles are pretty different. Her story focuses more on Lavellan and this one is more about Janan Mahariel. I'm trying to keep it close to what she's written, but things will probably be different.

With a careful look and her hood pulled up over her head she slipped into the camp where she thought that her brother was. She’d been to several other camps scattered around, one of them the camp of the elf calling himself Falon’din, looking for her brother, but she had only gathered bits of information, whispers told around the camp fire about the great heroes standing up to the tyrant that Falon’din was becoming. From what she’d gathered he had gone west and if she knew her brother, and she did there would only be one place that he would have gone, and this was it. 

It had been a pain to slip past the sentries stationed around and get into the keep without being seen, but she’d done it. She kept to the shadows, moving slowly and carefully and found her way around. There were elves everywhere and she was more than a bit surprised to realize that no one had spotted her. She was good at hiding but this was uncanny, a few people had passed within inches of her and hadn’t even noticed her. Her chalked it up to skill and kept moving. 

“How long do you think we can stay here before he thinks to look here?” She stopped and listened. “You are a warden and there are other wardens with us, it would only be too obvious that we were here.”

“And that is precisely why he won’t think to look here.” Her ear twitched as she recognized her brother’s voice. She let all pretense of hiding fade from her mind as she stood up, shook her hood from her head, grabbed the handle and waltzed in like she owned the place. Everyone in the room turned to look at her. 

“Theron, I have been looking everywhere for you!” She exclaimed, ignoring the three mages ready to sling spells, and two others who had drawn weapons. They were all ready to pounce on her if she showed any outright hostility. She ignored them, focusing on Theron. 

“Janan? Is that you? How did you get in here?”

“Oh you know, the usual way, through the door.” She pointed over her shoulder at the open doorway she’d just stepped through.

“Who are you?” Finally she decided to acknowledge one of the mages. From his build she knew that he was an ancient elf, he wore Mythal’s vallaslin, and he looked ready to snarl. 

“My name is Janan Mahariel. Don’t tell me Theron has never mentioned that he has a twin?” All eyes in the room turned to Theron, Mahariel as everyone called him. Theron chuckled and ignored the looks. 

“I was getting around to it,” Mahariel muttered. “How did you get in here? Whose orb did you find?”

“How do I get in anywhere, Theron? I snuck in. Though it has been quite strange, it seems like the shadows hide me better than they used to. You have a strange golden glow around you. What do you mean orb? This thing?” Janan reached into her bag slowly, most of the people in the room were still tense with her strange arrival. She pulled out a mask and held it up. 

“Dirthamen,” the elf who had spoken before said. “You have found Dirthamen’s focus.” Janan shrugged and tossed it at him. He caught it, letting the magic drop and looked at it. It was inert, the magic having found a home with Janan. It didn’t take having the power of the orb to see how it swirled around her. It was trying to draw the shadows around her even as she stood there just watching everyone.

“You all know who I am, I think I would like to know who all of you are.” 

“I am Zevran, former Antivan Crow,” Zevran said as he put his blade away. “I am ashamed that even I did not know that Mahariel had a sister, and I’ve grown to know him…quite well.”

“It isn’t entirely surprising, I’ve always snuck around and disappeared for long periods of time. Still though, not even a mention of me, brother?”

“I knew you’d turn up and do something like this. I didn’t want to deprive you of your grand introduction, Janan. There is no need to keep your guard up like this, my sister isn’t going to attack. Come with me, we’ve a lot to talk about. Go on, back to your discussion,” Mahariel wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulders and started to lead her from the room while waving at the gathered people to keep talking. 

“Theron, you’re not going to get rid of me,” Janan stated as she ducked his arm. “I would like to know who exactly you’ve been working with that you can’t even find your poor, lonely younger sister.”

“Zevran, Abelas, Lavellan, Merrill, Sera, Morrigan, Velanna, and Fenris,” Mahariel pointed at each in turn. “Now let’s get you all settled in, elsewhere.” Janan sighed and followed her brother out. He clearly didn’t want her in the meeting. 

“What are you afraid of me doing, Theron? Embarrassing you?”

“More like I’m not sure if you’re actually my sister,” Mahariel answered. Janan frowned at him and raised a brow. “You have the twin to Falon’din’s magic. I don’t know what that means. For now you’re going to find a nice room and stay in there while the others and I figure out what to do. I will bring you puzzles, if you’re a good girl and stay in there.”

“You want me to sit in a room, with puzzles, while you and your friends have a discussion about what to do with me and I don’t get a say in it?” Janan asked her eyebrow was climbing up to her hairline.

“Exactly! Do it for me? Your big brother who you love very, very much?” Mahariel batted his eyelashes at her. 

“I will give you two days and then I’m doing what I want. Also shame on you, Theron, for not telling your lover about me! I’m very hurt.”

“I will make it up to you with love and affection and puzzles, now stay in this room.” Mahariel opened a door and motioned for Janan to step inside. She rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh before complying with her brother’s wishes. 

“Two days, and it will take more than puzzles to make it up to me, Theron.” Mahariel shut the door and headed back to the room they were using as a conference room. There were even more things to talk about now.


	2. Chapter 2

Not even five minutes after her brother left her in the room Janan walked out. She’d pulled the shadows around her to shroud her again and strolled around the keep. She listened in on conversations, gathering information. Information was easy to gather when the shadows kept her hidden. 

There was talk among the elves about Lavellan, the former Inquisitor. She was pregnant, almost ready to give birth, and the child was Falon’Din’s. They were afraid that Falon’Din would find them when the child was born and kill them all. She also gathered that even Lavellan wasn’t above being hurt by the evil tyrant. 

Janan moved on after a few minutes. The next set of elves she came across were all staring into the fire, a distant look in their eyes. They didn’t speak, just stared, but Janan could imagine what they were thinking about, lost loved ones. Janan one person she cared about in the world after she’d left her clan, and that was her brother. Merrill hadn’t even recognized her and it wasn’t surprising. She’d left the clan long before she even had a chance to leave an impression with the young mage. It was practically after she’d gotten her vallaslin that she’d left, and before that it wasn’t uncommon for her to disappear. She was known in the clan mostly through reputation. Theron had been one who wanted the attention, and he was good with it. 

Seeing that there was no information to be gathered from the haunted elves Janan left and headed back toward the meeting room where the others were talking. There was a good chance that they’d figure out she left her room if she didn’t get back before them, but she was willing to take the chance. Janan kept to the darkest shadows and then listened outside of the door.

“-can’t stay here! We already have enough mouths to feed without having to worry about another! Not only that but what if Falon’Din can control her?” 

“It is true that Dirthamen and Falon’Din were twins but their magic was not linked in that manner. It doesn’t mean that he can’t feel her though, he might come looking for her in the Dreaming. If that happens he will pluck information straight from her mind without so much as blinking.”

“Most importantly, why did you never tell anyone that you had a sister?”

“Janan is a very anti-social person,” she heard Theron start to explain. “She really just never came up.” Janan knew that he didn’t like to advertise on certain things and she was one of them, mostly because she asked him not to. It made more people aware of her and they would think of her resemblance to him as more than coincidence. “This isn’t about why I didn’t tell anyone about her, this is what we’re going to do about her. My sister won’t hang around for long, and it wouldn’t surprise me to know that she’s not in her room right now, if we’re going to decide anything it needs to be now.” Theron knew her well, Janan decided. She pulled her ear away from the door and strolled back to her room. He’d have her best interests at heart and protect her from whatever horrible things they were planning. If he wasn’t able to stop them from doing something horrible he’d come and tell her to leave as soon as possible. He was a good brother, if a little strange. 

Janan strolled back to her room and walked inside, shutting the door behind her. She laid down on the small bed, closed her eyes and let herself doze lightly. She’d wake when someone came into the room. 

“Janan, wake up.” Janan opened her eyes and bolted upright, going for her dagger before realizing that it was Theron. Janan left the dagger in its sheathe and looked at him. Him and the sentinel elf were standing in her room, Theron leaning over her to wake her and the sentinel standing ramrod straight with his hands behind his back.

“I wasn’t sleeping, I was dozing,” Janan stated. She couldn’t believe she’d actually fallen asleep, all the shadow walking she’d been doing was apparently taking its toll on her.

“Of course you were, Janan,” Theron stated as he patted her shoulder. Janan sent him a glare and he pulled away a smirk on his face.

“I am just here to tell you that you will be working with Abelas here and after the meeting you will be meeting with Merrill who will block your mind from Falon’Din. He won’t be able to pull anything out of your mind and our location for a while will be safe. In the mean time you should get acquainted with Abelas.” Theron headed for the door. “Please don’t kill each other.” He left, leaving the two of them alone to size each other up. Janan rose to her feet and saw that she was a full head shorter than Abelas.

“Well if we are to get acquainted we might as well have proper introductions. Andaran atish’an, Abelas, I am Janan Mahariel.” Abelas barely inclined his head. 

“Tell me of how you have been using the magic that the focus has given you,” Abelas said. Janan raised a brow.

“How about I show you?” Before Abelas could answer Janan grabbed his hand and pulled the shadows around them. The world changed slightly, darkening everything and most things seemed farther away. Abelas pulled his hand away from her and the magic slipped off of him. He stared at her with a frown and Janan let the magic drop. “Something wrong?”

“Is there anything else that you do with it?”

“No, that is it. It is all I need it for,” Janan explained with a shrug. “Either you have pissed off my brother, or you aren’t very important. I also hope you realize that I am reclusive by nature and will not make your job of watching me easy.”

“Or it is that I am best suited to control you, keep you from getting into things you couldn’t.” Janan smirked at him.

“Then clearly you don’t know my brother. If you are missing important meetings like this it is by his design. Theron may be ridiculous, strange, have very good taste in men, and act stupid, but he isn’t. You were probably the main obstacle in something he wanted accomplished and now you are out of the picture.” From the look in Abelas’ eyes she knew that she was right. “I’m sure it isn’t that important, there is no need to worry about it.” Abelas stalked out of the room, leaving Janan behind. She smiled as she walked out behind him and walked in the opposite direction from him. It was time to do a little looking around; even if her brother didn’t want her to before she got that spell done. She would be meeting with Merrill before she went to sleep so it wasn’t like it really mattered. Theron and Abelas were too worried about Falon’Din, she was beneath his notice. Janan kept to the darkness around pools of light. She found her way to the outer wall, worked the door open with her lock picks and started walking up the stairs to the ramparts. There were sentries on the walls, but she had no intention of seeing them. 

On the ramparts she could see for miles in whatever direction she looked. The Anderfels weren’t a terrible place, but she much preferred Ferelden to it. It was true that she had left the clan, but she still thought of the areas they’d travelled through as home. She settled herself down between the large bricks of stone and hung her legs over the wall, looking out into the dark world beyond.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before she heard someone coming up the stairs to her left. Instead of moving to hide she stayed there.

“You manipulated me.” It was Abelas, just like she had thought it would be. 

“Of course I did,” Janan replied. “I am related to Theron. I don’t like being watched and coddled, I can take care of myself and have been for many years. Get used to it because I’m sure that I will find more chinks in your armor to needle. It would be best for you if you just act like you have been watching me.” Abelas grabbed the hood of her cloak and pulled her back onto the stonework path. 

“If you do not watch to be coddle or watched, then we shall train. I will not fall for your manipulations again. This will be a magic duel and you had best know how to defend yourse-“ Janan was on her feet in a second and she strode up to him and nailed him between the legs with her knee. Abelas doubled over. 

“This is something you might want to learn, Abelas. If you can’t win with the current rules, change the rules, or cheat.” Janan gave him her best smile before walking away, heading back down into the keep. 

“Wretched woman,” he barely managed.


	3. Chapter 3

Abelas picked himself up off the ground and followed the infuriating woman down the stairs and back into the courtyard. He was supposed to be teaching her magic, not recovering from an unexpected knee to his more sensitive places. He saw her ambling around, just looking and taking everything in, the very thing that they didn’t want her to do just in case Falon’Din could look through her eyes. He didn’t know enough about Falon’Din or Dirthamen to say if that was a possibility. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Abelas growled at her. Janan gave him a smile and then disappeared from his sight, seemingly melting into a shadow. Abelas frowned even harder and glanced around, trying to see her. This whole vanishing act of hers was getting on his nerves. She wasn’t taking this seriously. It was like everything was a game. 

“I am changing the rules,” Janan answered. Abelas started to turn around but quickly found a hand on the back of his neck, nails digging in and his face planted in the dirt. “I can’t take you in a one on one magic fight so I won’t.” Abelas struggled against her grip but couldn’t sit up, she was stronger than she looked, or she was using magic to strengthen her limbs. He decided two can play it that way and pushed his magic into his limbs. He slowly gained ground on her, but Janan was already adapting. She moved to stand beside him and kicked him in the ribs, hard enough to be painful and leave a bruise but not hard enough to do lasting damage. Janan let go of the back of his neck and stepped away, slipping into the darkness of the shadows again. 

Abelas shook his head, clearing the pain from his head and got to his feet, scanning the area for her. He didn’t find her and bared his teeth in a frustrated snarl, knowing that she was watching him from the shadows. A chair came tumbling through the air at him and Abelas lifted his hand, ignited the chair, still it kept coming, now a ball of flame. With another simple gesture a pillar of ice engulfed the chair finally stopping it. 

“Always watch your back,” Janan whispered, just to the side of his ear. Abelas whirled toward her, throwing his arm out to try to catch her but Janan ducked it, knowing it was coming, and stepped inside his guard after his arm swung by. She grinned at him, put her hands on his chest and shoved, he fell to the ground with a plume of dirt coming up around him and set her foot on his chest, pressing down against it hard enough to make it difficult to breathe. “Perhaps I am not the one who has to be taught. Mages are all the same, step too close to them and make it hard for them to use their magic and they have a difficult time. I don’t need or want to know more than I already do, because if things are too easy I will come to depend on them, in much the same manner as you.” Janan bent down and patted his cheek with a smile. “Your ass kicking lessons will continue in the morning. I do believe that I have an appointment with Merrill to put you and my brother at ease.” Janan gave him another pat, this one harder and lifted her foot off of his chest. Abelas laid there a moment in the dirt and got to his feet, sending a pillar of flame out at her. 

It was the roaring sound of the fire that forced her to turn around and when she did she saw the flames coming at her. Janan’s eyes went wide a moment before she leapt into a roll to dodge the flames. Abelas continued the onslaught of magic, alternating between fire, ice, and lightning. He was comfortable in all three. Janan was light on her feet and able to dodge the worst of everything, and as she dodged she was getting closer and closer to him.

“I will not tolerate your tomfoolery!” Abelas snapped at her. All signs of amusement had faded out of her features, now she was being serious. The closer she got to him the faster she had to move to dodge the magic coming at her, but somehow she was still managing to do it. When she got close enough to him she slammed her hands down over his, locking her fingers between his and channeled her own magic into him. His eyes went wide as the depths of the power at her beck and call flooded over him.

“This is the magic that the Evanruis had,” Janan stated. “This is how powerful they were, their magic was nearly limitless in the areas they excelled in. Dirthamen was the keeper of secrets and knowledge. He could glean information with just a glance and remember it over a hundred years later. He hunted down secrets to keep and use against those who would challenge him or the others. Dirthamen was a dangerous mage and not to be trifled with and neither am I, Abelas. I don’t play games, I dislike people, I dislike having someone in my business all the time, and I very much dislike the fact that you think you are better than me. We are both elves, Abelas, no matter when we were born, or how diminished you think we are. Case in point, I just kicked your ass.” Janan lifted her leg, hooked it behind his knees and pulled it forward, knocking him backwards. She let go of his fingers at the same moment and then stood over him again, locking eyes with him for the first time since they’d met. “Do not fuck with me. You will disappear one night and be just another secret in my vault.” Janan let the words linger a moment before she straightened and left him, going to find Merrill.

Abelas stayed in the dirt a few moments, thinking about everything she’d just said and finally got himself off the ground, dusting himself off as he went. It was hard to believe that she had so thoroughly beaten him, but he had the dust and the aches to prove it. There was a small part of him that thought she was more dangerous than her brother. Mahariel worked within certain rules and Janan ignored them or changed them to suit her needs. 

“You look like you have seen better days, my friend,” Zevran commented as he walked up to Abelas. 

“I have,” Abelas confirmed. 

“Tell me, why is that chair covered in ice?”

“The result of magic training.” Abelas waved a hand at it and it melted, the chair fell to the ground in a puddle of water and Abeles left it there. “Is there something I can help you with, Zevran?”

“I only came to ask how Janan’s training was going,” Zevran asked. “Mahariel has asked a lot of you.”

“She needs no training. She has a better handle on her magic than most mages do after years of training. I need to speak with Mahariel.” Abelas left. He walked the halls to the area where he knew Mahariel liked to wander and sure enough found him pacing back and forth. “We need to talk.”


	4. Chapter 4

Knowing she had to find Merrill, Janan walked around, listening for the name on the wind. It wasn’t the name that ended up outing Merrill it was the accent. Janan heard it and turned toward it. 

“Get away from that pie you stupid raven!” Merrill exclaimed as she rushed over to bat away a raven that was going for a pie sitting out. “I haven’t seen a raven around before and now there have been two of them!” Merrill frowned.

“I’m afraid that would be my fault,” Janan stated as she walked up. “I’ve had two following me around for a while and no matter what I do I can’t get rid of them,” she explained and frowned at the two ravens sitting on the back of a chair staring at her. “Creepy things, really.” Merrill looked from Janan to the ravens and then looked excited.

“It must be because you have Dirthamen’s orb! Oh, mask. His mask. You unlocked it. Fear and Deceit, those were Dirthamen’s ravens, well, I assume they were his at least. It says so in the old stories. Before we knew that the Creators were just very powerful mages. Try commanding them, they might listen to you!” Janan looked from the very excited and practically vibrating with it Merrill and at the two ravens who were still watching her. It was clear Merrill’s excited face wasn’t going to fade until she did it. 

“What should I command them to do?” Janan asked as she watched them back. There was intelligence to their eyes and Janan knew they could understand. Merrill shrugged and started to think it over. Janan kept her eyes on the ravens. “Come to me in the morning.” She put a tiny bit of magic into her voice and the ravens leapt from the chair and disappeared to different sides of the keep.   
“They listened! They really were Fear and Deceit! What other powers have you gotten from Dirthamen?” Merrill was practically hanging on the air waiting for the answer. Janan knew that Merrill wasn’t going to give up without the answers and instead of getting sad about she would definitely pester. 

“Shadow walking, incredible memory, control of two ravens apparently, one time a bear strolled up to me and licked me before moving on, and then there are the varterral. I can feel them. I know exactly where all of them are and I know that if I tell them to give up on their charge they will and then they will fade away. And I know I can make new ones where ever there is need,” Janan answered. “I really don’t use anything but shadow walking, it is all I need. Would it be too much trouble for you to protect my mind? I would much rather have certain people not look at me like killing me would be a better idea for everyone,” Janan added with a sigh. It was really a feeling she knew all too well. Over the years she’d gotten into things that she shouldn’t of and it had ended up with more than a few people wanting her dead.

“Right! Mahariel asked me to take care of that for you,” Merrill added. She set her palms on Janan’s temples and focused. Janan’s vision swam and she felt a great well of power in Merrill, just like she had herself. It was different, warmer and brighter than her magic, more drawn to the light. There was also the hint of violence in it and the need to put things right when they were wronged. Elgar’nan’s magic was strong inside of Merrill. Just when she thought her brain was going to melt the magic cut off and Merrill stepped away. “Done!” Janan nodded and then forced her eyes to focus on Merrill. 

“Thank you.” Janan gave the mage a smile and turned to walk away.

“Oh, please stay! I would love to hear about the adventures you’ve been on. I used to have a friend who liked to tell stories, but he’s gone. He called me Daisy.” There was sorrow and longing in her voice. They must have been good friends. 

“I’m afraid I don’t tell very good stories, but I could tell you stories about Mahariel when we were younger.” Merrill’s face lit up. “Alright, one story.” Janan launched into a story that her brother would hate her for sharing. 

 

“Has my sister escaped you already, Abelas?” Mahariel asked. “She’s a handful, isn’t she?”

“She has lied to us,” Abelas responded, not answering either question. Mahariel frowned and raised a brow. His sister was a capable liar and manipulator but she tended to not use those skills unless she had no other choice. “She has had Dirthamen’s powers since before the Veil came down.”

“And you know this how?” Mahariel finally stopped pacing back and forth.

“She is much too skilled with her magic to not have had it for a while, at least a year, probably more. Even the simple things she uses magic for should have been harder and yet she can tap into the magic like she has been doing it for ages. We need to question her, thoroughly.”

“So you have nothing,” Mahariel answered. “A hunch. I will talk with my sister, but she may not even give me the answers. Janan likes to keep what she knows to herself, only giving things up when she needs to. Whatever you do, don’t make her angry.” Abelas frowned and stared evenly at Mahariel. “You already made her angry, didn’t you?” Mahariel sighed. After a second he headed toward the courtyard. “Go clean yourself up. You look like you wrestled a bear in the mud.” Abelas glanced down at himself and saw that Mahariel was right. 

Mahariel left Abelas and went to find his sister. She was unlikely to be where he wanted her to be, she never was. He wandered around, trying to listen for her. There were many people who thought that twins were able to find each other because of feelings, but if that was true it had never worked between them. Janan always just showed up with a juicy story to tell. 

“-jumped onto the back of a halla from the aravel. The halla spooked and took off, Theron riding on its back. The look on his face was priceless, he was terrified! The halla circled the camp a few times before taking off into the woods, taking Theron with it. At first everyone was just staring around, confused. Then all of a sudden everyone jumped into motion. The hunters led the way, tracking the halla carrying my brother, and the children were told to stay with the aravels and a few of the others who were left behind. I didn’t listened and followed them, keeping to the shadows and hiding myself. I wanted to see my brother. It took a few hours and when we found Theron he was covered in mud and the halla had him pinned in a tree, snapping at him for the indignity. He was laughing and waving at us as we approached. It took our halla master half an hour to clam the halla so my brother could get down. When he did he just grinned as he was being scolded. His chores were changed, keeping him far away from the halla, he had to help wash clothes and learned to mend clothing. He became very domestic, at least until he found a new set of trouble to get into.”

“Janan are you giving up my secrets?” Mahariel asked as he followed her voice. He found a small group had gathered to hear her story. There was Sera, Merrill, Zevran, and a few others elves they’d picked up along the way.

“I didn’t realize clan life was a secret. Is there something I can help you with?” Mahariel nodded his head and motioned for his sister to follow him. Janan gave her audience a smile before following her brother. They walked for a time, heading to a part of the keep that wasn’t being used. “Either you’re going to attempt to kill me down here or what you’re going to ask me isn’t for anyone else’s ears.”

“How long have you had Dirthamen’s magic?” Theron asked. 

“I’m not entirely sure,” Janan answered. She wouldn’t look at him.

“Janan, I’m your brother, you can tell me anything.”

“A few years,” Janan answered. “Before the Breach opened. I was exploring parts unknown and discovered a temple that hadn’t been explored in ages. The magic was still strong and I stepped inside. The magic was cold and slid over my skin. I followed the paths, solving puzzles when the need arose and slipping by them when I couldn’t. Eventually I found myself in a large chamber. There was the mask sitting on a pedestal. I felt…” Janan searched for the words. “I felt like it was the same as me. Or whoever had owned it was the same as me. I touched the mask and looked at it. It was nothing but a mask, until I put it to my face to look through the holes. There was a flash of darkness, my torch went out, and the magic flowed into me. It was terrifying. When I was able to get my fear under control I looked around and the temple was lit up. There was a mosaic of Dirthamen on the wall with elvish underneath. I don’t know enough elvish to be able to read it, but suddenly I did. I read them. It was a vault of secrets that Dirthamen had gathered. All the secrets that Dirthamen had, they’re mine now.”

“Why did you come to me before?” Theron asked. “The orbs have power, but they can corrupt. Lavellan really likes to set things on fire now,” he added as an example. 

“How was I going to explain I was suddenly a mage to you? I stayed away from everyone. Though a good amount of the secrets Lavellan’s spymaster found, I let them find. I pulled things from behind the scenes, a bit. If things hadn’t moved so fast I would have gotten the location of the orbs to you before, but it has been damned difficult to find you and your merry band. Now that I’ve met you all it will be much easier to find you. So when are you going to marry Zevran, Theron?” 

“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about! Come on, I have a job for you and Abelas,” Theron said and turned to head off. Janan grabbed his arm. 

“Theron, I know you love him, a lot. Anyone who sees the two of you together can tell that. It is in the tiny, tiny details. He stands just close enough that when your hands fall to your sides your hands will brush, you tend to lean toward him, just slightly so you’re that much closer. When you see him walk into a room your breath catches for just a second and your eyes get this look in them, like you’re high on something. When he smiles your heart pounds in your chest and you can’t believe that through all of this you have this amazing person by your side, and they haven’t left you, like I did. If you don’t want to marry him that’s fine, but you should make sure he knows just how much he means to you. I don’t mean the best sex he’s ever had, I mean a sweet gesture.” Theron shifted uncomfortably.

“We are both very open about sex, I don’t think marriage would be a good proposition,” Theron confessed and ran his hand through his hair. “We both have had multiple partners since we’ve gotten together. All sex no emotional attachment.” Janan put a hand on her brother’s shoulder and smiled at him.

“I think he’d be fine with marriage, so long as it is to you and you’re both happy. You can set the parameters of your marriage, it doesn’t have to be traditional. Whatever you’d like to do, Theron, you’re welcome to. You can be damn sure that if it happens I am walking you down the aisle.” Janan grinned as Theron snorted.

“I’m glad to have you back Janan. It’s always been a worry in the back of mind that you were dead.” Janan laughed and shook her head. 

“It’s going to take a lot more than the end of the world to kill me, you know that.” 

“Well, now I do! Let’s go find Abelas, I have plans for the two of you.” Janan nodded with a small frown. “Really, he isn’t all that bad.”

“He’s kind of a snob.”


	5. Chapter 5

Abelas and Janan sat down at a table in Mahariel’s room, as far away from each other as they could get. It wasn’t very far because Mahariel had picked a small room for him and Zevran, and when they moved their arms touched. Abelas glared down his nose as her and Janan glared right back with a scowl. Mahariel let out a sigh as he looked at the both of them.

“Clearly you don’t like each other,” Mahariel muttered. “Suck it up, ladies!” Abelas tore his glare away from Janan to look at Mahariel. Janan snorted. “We are all in this together, hate each other all you want, but you are working together starting now. Abelas you know the way Falon’Din thinks you know where his supplies are, you are the resident Evanuris expert. Janan you are the shadow that passes through shadows and can only be seen when she wants to be seen. The two of you are going to work together. You are going to spy on Falon’Din.” The glared dropped off their faces as they stared at him. Their heads turned to each other at the same time. Abelas looked like he’d been stabbed and Janan was annoyed. 

“You want me to work with him? To spy with him? He doesn’t know the first thing about not being seen! He was only forgotten about because he was trapped in a temple in the Arbor Wilds.” Janan got up and grabbed the sides of Abelas’ face. “Are you looking at this face? It is much too beautiful to unnoticed in a crowd. I can’t do what I do best with him around.” Abelas pulled his head from between her hands and got to his feet. He sent her a glare which she ignored. “I will gladly take his information, but I will not take him with me, he will get me killed.”

“Janan, you’re not going to be interacting with Falon’Din’s followers, or slaves as it were. You’re going to be watching them.”

“Theron if you want information only so much can be learned from watching people. If you want information that you can use, that will help we have to talk to people, be just another face in the crowd that is in the same situation as everyone else. One look at Abelas and everyone will immediately know he is a Sentinel, ancient elves are built differently than we are. Humor me, snob,” Janan stated to Abelas as she moved behind him and raised his arms to his sides. He grudgingly did so, only because she was making a very important point. She took up the same position in front of him. “We are shorter, thinner, and we have less muscle than they do. It would be very strange to see a normal elf with a Sentinel. He can’t change what he is anymore than we can. Abelas is also a wanted criminal to Falon’Din, his face is probably plastered everywhere on wanted posters.” Janan let her arms drop and then turned to Abelas. “Thank you for humoring me, but you’re still a snob.” She sat down in her chair. 

“I’m just hearing reasons why you don’t want to,” Mahariel commented. “Think of it as a challenge, Janan. Think of all the juicy secrets that you could learn.” 

“While I do not like your sister, she has lied to us, she does have a point. Everyone will know my face and they will report me instantly to Falon’Din. Only so much information can be learned from the shadows, and even then you cannot always believe the things that you overhear.” Janan nodded her agreement. 

“You are just looking at the problems,” a new voice said. They turned to see Zevran walk in and shut the door behind him. “Look at a solution. If people know Abelas’ face then Janan can go and learn information by interacting, while Abelas shadows her. I am no stranger to spying and infiltration, change tactics.”

“If you’re so good at it, why aren’t you doing it?” Janan snapped. Mahariel narrowed his eyes as he looked at his sister. “Oh, I get it. You’ll put your sister in danger but you won’t do it to the man you love. Got it. Really feeling the love over here, my twin.” 

“That is not it and you know it,” Mahariel stated. “You are the best chance we have to find out anything important.” Janan rolled her eyes and refused to look at him. “This is nothing personal, you know that.”

“Maybe I do, and maybe I don’t like the idea of being sent away again when I-“ An explosion cut her off. The ground shook from the impact and everyone rushed out of the door. Laying in the center of the courtyard was a boulder covered in fire.

“Incoming!” Everyone’s eyes snapped to the sky as more flaming boulders flew in. Abelas was already in motion, throwing magic to combat the projectiles. Janan took up beside him and thrust her hands out with a snarl. The projectiles stopped and were pushed out of the Keep. 

“Fine, we will spy. Get everyone you can out of here, I will try to keep the trebuchets from crushing you,” Janan said. “Coming, Abelas?”

“I have little choice in the matter,” Abelas answered as he followed behind Janan. Mahariel watched them head for the outer walls. There was a pit in his stomach. He was sending his sister into more danger than she had ever been in all because he needed information.

“Mi amor, come,” Zevran said as he tugged at Mahariel’s arm. “If your sister is anything like you she will be fine.”

“My sister is even worse than me. I play loose with the rules, but she throws them out,” Mahariel stated as he followed Zevran’s insistent tugging.

“Then she will be fine, no? We have to evacuate people,” Zevran added. Mahariel nodded and went with him, leaving his sister behind. Saving his people was more important than just one person, no matter their relation to him, he knew that. He’d learned it during the Blight. 

 

Janan made quick work of climbing up the walls and Abelas just used magic to get to the top. She ignored the superior look on his face and turned to focus her attention at the trebuchets outside. Falon’Din had come.

“He brought the entire army,” Abelas breathed as he looked at the numbers. In truth he had no idea how they had gotten so close without anyone seeing them, but he imagined it had to do with all the power Solas had amassed. 

“Find the trebuchets and disable them.” Janan pointed a finger at one of the trebuchets and black shadows came up from the ground, wrapping the entire thing in absolute darkness. There were screams of surprise. She turned her attention to another one and her eyes went completely black, she was tapping into the magic of Dirthamen more than she had ever before and there seemed to be no end. It was a deep, deep well and she wasn’t sure there was a bottom to it.

Abelas followed suit and targeted the trebuchets. One caught fire and burned the supports to ashes in seconds. Another was encased in ice before it shattered into pieces. They made quick work of the ones closest to them. Soliders were starting to climb up onto the ramparts now. Janan pulled up her hood and pulled her bow from her back.

“I hope you know how to get your hands dirty, Sentinel,” Janan commented as she started targeting the soldiers coming up the ladders.

“I know more about fighting than you could ever hope to know,” Abelas responded as he set the ladder on fire. There were screams of pain at first, and then fear as they fell back to the ground, stopping only when they hit the ground. “It was just one war after another with the Evanuris.”

“Well, temple boy, let’s get to work.”


	6. Chapter 6

The trouble wasn’t with the trebuchets, it was with the overwhelming numbers of soldiers that Falon’Din had brought with him. He had spared no expense in order to get Lavellan back. Janan and Abelas had spent the better part of an hour flinging soldiers off of the ramparts, destroying ladders, and all around killing. Both were finally wearing out. Janan was still slinging magic when she saw an opening but her arms were heavy and her reflexes were slowing. Abelas was out of mana he was too tired to throw his spells and instead was doing his best to keep the soldiers away from him. 

“They’re going to overwhelm us,” Janan called with a quick glance over her shoulder. Abelas ran through two soldiers with a blade he had picked up and then pitched them over the edge of the ramparts. “Theron has had as much time as we can give him. We’ve got to get out of here.” Janan shot a jet of flame in front of her.

“How do you propose we do that?” Abelas asked. He was starting to sag with exhaustion. There were just too many of them.

“You’re not going to like it,” Janan answered. She shot flames in front of him and behind her and then tackled him. Abelas let out a shout of surprise as they fell. When they got half way to the ground Janan started a whirlwind to catch them. It softened their landing but they would still have bruises the next day. The impact drove the air from their lungs but Janan was on her feet a second later. She delved deep into the nearly infinite well of power that Dirthamen had left behind and pulled as much as she could handle to her call. A huge wall of black ice sprung up from one end of the keep to the other, blocking the path of the advancing soldiers. She saw them on the other side and saw them throwing fire at it. It was several feet thick and she’d called upon the cold of the grave; they weren’t getting through it any time soon. 

Before she could enjoy her triumph Janan’s legs gave out and she hit the ground hard. Abelas was at her side, lifting her from the ground. He pulled one of her arms across his shoulders and helped her walk. They hobbled away from the wall of ice she’d called and made it into the Keep. 

“I hope you know the way out of here,” Janan stated. “I only just got here, I have no idea where we’re going.”

“There are escape tunnels Mahariel showed everyone in case something to this end happened. We will go through those.” Janan nodded her head and let him lead the way. 

As they made their way through the keep they encountered no one. Everyone had already escaped, or they were hiding very well. The keep was still shuddering under the attacks from Falon’Din’s soldiers, but with most of the trebuchets taking out it was slow going. No doubt mages from before the veil came down were working together to send flaming projectiles at them, they were the only ones who would know how to do that. The rest of the population wasn’t used to having magic and wouldn’t know where to start.

Abelas stopped walking Janan looked up at him and saw a look of anger and fear. She followed his eyes and saw that Falon’Din was standing there. There was a slight shimmer about him and Janan knew that he wasn’t really there. He was projecting himself.

“Which of you holds my brother’s power?” Falon’Din asked. He was wearing ornate armor and his face was kept severe. He wasn’t pleased. Janan straightened herself and stared back at him, more than aware that her hood was up and kept her face shrouded. “I know one of you holds it, Dirthamen and I were the only ones that could call the cold of the grave up. I saw that ice wall, one of you has it. Tell me!” he snarled. 

“Oh shut up,” Janan snapped back. “I have Dirthamen’s power. Better that I have it instead of you, a tyrant who goes around raping those who he says he loves. I’ve seen Lavellan, I know the haunted look in her eyes that she tries so hard to hide. I’ve seen it in the eyes of countless others. If I ever meet you in person, Falon’Din, I’m going to rip your dick off and shove it down your throat for you to choke on.” Janan stepped through his projection and disappeared around a corner. Her stepping through it disrupted it and Falon’Din faded away. 

“You are insane,” Abelas declared when he caught up. “No one would dare deliver that threat to him in person. He’s too powerful.”

“That’s why I did it. He’s so used to being in charge, he’s never threatened in that manner, and if Lavellan does it he ignores it,” Janan leaned up against a wall and let out a yawn. “We’d best be getting out of here.” Abelas nodded and led the way. Janan followed him, moving through the keep at a quick pace, ignoring the growing fatigue.

 

“That bitch. I will enjoy peeling her skin from her,” Falon’Din snarled after his projection was disrupted. “Have you found Ellana?”

“No, we found her bedroom, but we have seen no sign of her. It is likely that the White Wolf took her and escaped with her at the first sign of trouble.” Falon’Din didn’t look at his advisor.

“Take me there.” The man bowed and turned to lead Falon’Din to the room that Ellana had occupied. It took several minutes before he arrived and when he did he knew that it was, indeed, her room. There was small clothing scattered about, they hadn’t had time to come back and grab the things for the baby. He picked up a piece of clothing and looked at it. It was hardly well crafted; no doubt she’d tried to make it herself. He made a mental note to not let her make clothing for their child. 

“The Keep is ours.”

“Good, we will hold it until we leave, and then I will level it. Leave me.” He gave a wave of dismissal. Everyone left the room, only too happy to disappear from his side. Falon’Din laid down on the bed and drifted off to sleep, he was waiting for Ellana to sleep, there was much to discuss. 

 

Lavellan couldn’t keep herself awake anymore. She was exhausted. They hadn’t had to fight too much, but the fighting she did end up doing had taken more out of her than she cared to admit at the time. If Fenris hadn’t been with her she would have been captured again. He’d plunged his lyrium infused hand into more chests than she cared to think about. 

“Sleep, I will stay with you,” Fenris stated as he settled down next to her. She was lying on the ground as close to the fire as she dared get. There had been no time to grab bedrolls or anything else so they were sleeping on the ground, the fire was kept low, not enough to give much heat but enough to keep them from freezing. They didn’t want to be found and a fire would surely give them away if it was too much larger. Night had fallen while they’d been fleeing toward the safe house that Abelas had set up in a town elsewhere. Everyone was meant to meet up there in case of something happening, and those that weren’t were headed toward another safe house. Even though he was a snob Abelas was good with contingency plans and organizing safe places for everyone to be. It was just a matter of getting there. 

Even though she knew that he’d be waiting for her Lavellan closed her eyes and let herself drift off. The only reason she even closed her eyes was the fact that Fenris was nearby. If it had been anyone else she would have stayed awake until she absolutely couldn’t anymore. 

Her dream was of her clan, before Keeper Deshana sent her to the conclave to spy. They were just setting up for the night. Suddenly the entire camp burst into flame and there were people screaming all around. Lavellan rushed to get water to douse the fires. She was grabbed by Falon’Din before she could take two steps.

“There you are, ma vhenan,” he whispered. “I have been looking for you. Why did you run? Did that wolf of yours drag you away?” Lavellan shoved at him to try to get away but his grip was strong. 

“No. I went willingly. I will never come back to you. Never.”

“You’re just saying that because he has poisoned your mind against me. I know your true feelings.” He ran a hand down her cheek while keeping her close to him with his other arm behind her back. He was impossibly strong. Lavellan turned her face away so she didn’t have to look at him. “Tell me where you are, vhenan. I will come get you and we will raise our child together.” Lavellan shook her head.

“Never.” Lavellan saw the anger in his eyes. “I will have my child raised by the dead before I let you lay a finger on them,” Lavellan snarled. Falon’Din gripped her upper arms, hard and glared down at her.

“This is not a game! I will have you and I will have my child, do you understand?”

“I understand that you’re a murdering tyrant who cares for no one but himself.” Lavellan spat in his face and smiled at him. “I will never come back to you willingly.” The world started to waver around them and she knew that Fenris was waking her. Lavellan kept the smile on her face as it all faded away. 

When she opened her eyes she saw that they weren’t alone. Fenris was glaring into the darkness as branches and twigs broke. He had his weapon in his hand and Lavellan pulled at the meager amount of magic she had left. 

“It is Abelas.” Fenris let out a breath and lowered his sword. Lavellan let out a breath and released the hold on her magic. Abelas broke through the ring of fire light with a hooded figure leaning on him. “I didn’t expect to find you this close to the Keep,” Abelas stated. 

“I needed to rest,” Lavellan stated. They had both needed to. 

“Who is that with you?” Fenris asked. 

“Mahariel’s sister,” Janan answered as she threw back her hood. She gave them a tired smile and let Abelas have his arm back. “Sorry for dropping in like this,” Janan added as she sank down to the ground. She laid flat on her back and stared up at the stars. “We figured a small fire this far out would be friendly, and we would have missed it if it weren’t for my ravens.”

“There is more protection in numbers,” Fenris stated. Even so he didn’t look happy that they were there. Then again, Fenris never truly looked happy.

“Are we interrupting anything?” Janan asked as she looked between Lavellan and Fenris. “If you two need a bit we can leave. Isn’t that right, temple boy?”

“Stop calling me that,” Abelas ordered. Janan waved a hand at him and ignored the comment.

“No, I was just trying to sleep,” Lavellan answered. “I will take the next watch.” 

“What did he do this time?” Fenris asked in an almost whisper.

“Nothing he hasn’t done before, less even.”

“He’s plaguing your dreams,” Janan whispered. “That’s low.”

“He is a dreamer, his magic is most powerful in the fade,” Abelas stated.

“That is below the belt,” Janan stated. She sat up and shook her head. “I will take this watch. All of you get some sleep.”

“Wake me for the next one,” Abelas ordered. He laid down on the ground and closed his eyes. Fenris slammed his sword into the ground and leaned his back against it, falling asleep in a sitting position. Lavellan rested her head on his leg and before long everyone was asleep. Janan waited until their breathing evened out before she left the circle of light to stand in the shadows. She called the ravens to her and ordered them to find Falon’Din. 

“Tell him I’d like to have a meeting.” The ravens let out soft caws before flying away in search of Falon’Din.


	7. Chapter 7

Janan walked until the camp fire was just a tin pinprick of light, she didn’t want to be anywhere near the camp for the meeting she had called with Falon’Din. She waited barely ten minutes before the shimmering projection appeared. Her hood was still up, hiding her face, she didn’t want Falon’Din to know what she looked like just yet. The right moment would come and he’d know, but this was not the time.

Falon’Din stood before her. He looked the same as he had earlier, but angrier, he didn’t like being summoned. Janan knew she had what he wanted though, he would come if she told him to. It made her smile. Her ravens had revealed where she was so he could send his projection but she wondered how he found her and Abelas earlier. It probably had something to do with their twinned magic. If she could do the same to him it would prove useful.

“I do not appreciate being summoned,” Falon’Din stated. He was restraining himself from snarling at her, she knew. “What is it that you want, thief?”

“Leave Lavellan alone,” Janan stated.

“She is my wife! She carries my child! I will have her back. Stand in my way and I will cut you down.” Janan tilted her head up just a bit so he could see the grin on her lips. 

“Then you would lose all that valuable information that I have. It may be true that you wanted Dirthamen’s power because of the knowledge that came with it, and the secrets, but I know the other reason. Dirthamen was the one who discovered how to make Eluvians. He was the one who connected them to the Crossroads. You want that ability. You also want the ability to open doors where you please, into and out of the Crossroads.” His eye twitched slightly and Janan smiled wider. She was right. 

“You have delved deep into my brother’s secrets. I didn’t expect you to know so much in so short a time. That you can control Fear and Deceit should have been a hint. You know what I want. What good does this meeting do?” 

“This meeting is more of me telling you what you will do if you even want to have a chance of getting the information out of my head,” Janan answered. “You will leave Lavellan alone. It is true that it was your seed that planted the child in her, but it is not yours. You will grow bored with it after a time and throw it aside. You do not want to be a father, you just want the glory that comes with it. I’ve seen your kind many times before, even before you destroyed the world. If you catch me I will offer up the information you want freely, but if you visit Lavellan in her dreams again I will let you catch me and I will kill us both. I will use every ounce of my power, of my life to make it happen. You may have your power, June’s and Mythal’s, but there is nothing more powerful than using your own life as a sacrifice. I will annihilate you.” Falon’Din stared at her, his rage barely contained. He wasn’t used to taking this much of a blow to his pride. 

“It hardly seems like a fair deal,” Falon’Din commented. He was carefully choosing his words to seem less annoyed and angry than he really was. “I have to give up my wife and my child for a paltry sum of information. I feel I would much rather have my wife and child.” Janan shrugged.

“I thought you might say that.” She threw back her hood and stared at him. The recognition was instant.

“Mahariel!”

“His twin, actually,” Janan stated evenly. “What a blow it would be to my brother to know that I willingly gave up that information to you. What a blow it would be to my brother to know that you captured me,” Janan said. “What do you say, Falon’Din? You focus all your efforts on me, leave everyone else alone, and chase someone who is worthy of you. Doesn’t that sound much better than chasing a woman who hates you and my brother? I did take your brother’s magic, after all.” Janan knew that taunting him like this was probably a bad idea, but it was all she had. She was much more capable of hindering his army and making his life hell than anyone else was. Her magic was the twin to his own, she had the best chance. The knowledge Dirthamen had left behind was also a good bargaining chip.

“Your knowledge is more important than an heir. I will have Lavellan after I pull the magic and the knowledge from you,” Falon’Din decided. “You won’t be as worthy prey as you think.”

“Oh, you will find me more than a challenge, Falon’Din,” Janan stated. “Especially when you and your armies will be walking from place to place.” Janan’s eyes went black and she pulled a single thread. “The Eluvians have just gone dark. They will not be coming back on. Look forward to seeing you soon, brother.” Janan disrupted the projection and sagged down to the ground. Her body wasn’t built for using magic, especially the amount she’d been throwing around. 

“I don’t know that was wise.” Janan looked up and saw Abelas standing next to a tree watching her carefully. Janan shrugged.

“Better he hunts one person instead of many,” Janan answered.

“This is Falon’Din, he will not play by such rules. He will find a way around them.”

“Then it is a good thing I intend to change the rules as I go,” Janan informed him. She sank down to the ground and let out a sigh. “I have a feeling that sooner or later I will be learning how to control my dreams.”

“There is a dreamer I know of, they would be willing to teach you to keep him out, I’m sure.” Janan looked up and him, a smirk on her lips.

“Are you trying to be nice to me, temple boy?”

“Stop calling me that,” he ordered again. “You are not as bad as I thought. You can be manipulative, rash, and hard to tolerate, but you are kind. That you would willingly reveal yourself and let a tyrant like no other chase you for the sake of one woman speaks volumes to who you are. I will help you, as your brother has asked of me.”

“Well, thank you. Maybe you aren’t as big a snob as I thought you were. I guess centuries of isolation will do that to you,” Janan commented. 

“Do not think that I do not remember you,” Abelas added as he knelt down to look her in the eyes. “You came to the temple, asking many questions about Arlathan and the elves of old. I didn’t remember at first, it was years ago. We kept ourselves hidden from you but you seemed to be able to find secrets that no one else should of and we watched your progress through the temple. Until Inquisitor Lavellan and her group you were the only one to bother solving the puzzles. You had Dirthamen’s magic then.”

“You and your sentinels thought you were being sneaky, hiding. I knew where you all were. I saw all of you. How else would I know that you were a ‘temple boy’? I was seeing how long it would take you to figure out. If we didn’t have to deal with Falon’Din and his army I’m sure that you would have figured it out before now,” Janan added. “I won’t deduct points from your score for being slow.” 

“We should be off as soon as we can,” Abelas stated ignoring the comment. 

“Morning, I’m too tired to open the eluvians right now.”

“Don’t you have access to an endless well of magic?”

“The magic isn’t running out, I am,” Janan answered. “I wasn’t born a mage and while the veil coming down made me a mage I still get tired from throwing too much around. I called up a huge ice wall with the chill of the grave, I’d like to see you do that and not be exhausted, temple boy.” Janan gave a yawn and stretched. “I said I would take this watch, and I will. Go back and get some sleep.” Janan got up and headed back toward the fire. Abelas followed behind her, watching in case she collapsed. 

“It is time for you to sleep, I will take this watch, I am not as tired as you are.” Abelas took up a place around the fire and let his senses expand. He would know if someone was coming long before they got there. “Do not object, you are dead on your feet and that makes you a liability. Sleep. I will wake Fenris when the time comes.” Janan wanted to argue, she did, but her eyes sank closed without her permission and she was asleep in less than a minute.


End file.
